During the design process, you might get asked whether the colours you have provided are CMYK or PMS.

As designers, we know this is a standard question, but we see a lot of confusion from business owners who don’t quite know the details, so we thought we’d demystify this question!

When you’re printing packaging and logos, the colours you are thinking might not be the colours the designers have in mind.

For example, you could provide a PMS colour that you have picked, but if it is not specified that it’s chosen from the PMS system, the designers could try to use the CMYK equivalent.

That is why it’s vital to get this question established from the start before printing anything!

By specifying, designers will know whether that is the colour they can use (if CMYK) or if Pantone, they will find the equivalent.